Janelle Monáe’s New Video Is Crazy in a Good Way

If you’re like me, you’ve been a diehard Janelle Monáe fan ever since her breakout performance on “So You Think You Can Dance” three years ago. The forward-thinking diva recently released the video for her newest single, “Q.U.E.E.N.”—and like pretty much everything Monáe creates, it’s full of quirky surprises.

The mini-film takes place in a futuristic universe. Monáe and her collaborators play time-traveling rebels who have been frozen and imprisoned in a “living museum.” Naturally, they don’t stay frozen for long. Before you know it, Monáe is breaking it down with a crew of slinky dancers in mod dresses and fist-pumping with guest singer Erykah Badu (aka “Badoula Oblongata,” my new favorite nickname ever).

There isn’t a lot of heavy-duty choreo in this video, but I kind of love that. It’s just Monáe and her crew doin’ what they do. Also, this may be the first time we’ve ever seen Monáe break out of her signature rockabilly-tux-and-pompadour look, and it’s kind of nice to see her embrace her girly side.